Rutgers game attendance

[kayak15]

Checked the Rutgers' board yesterday and came across an interesting post. Apparently they are giving away free tickets to the Wazzu game. Limited to kids twelve years old and younger. Seems like we are not a big draw in Jersey. Just thought that I would mention it.

LOL. Another interesting- and amusing- note. Just checked the Portland State forum. So guess who had posted there? Our very own new moderator, Scott Hood. Under personal information he listed as his favorite team.........Portland State! Damn traitor.

 

[Coug1990]

Checked the Rutgers' board yesterday and came across an interesting post. Apparently they are giving away free tickets to the Wazzu game. Limited to kids twelve years old and younger. Seems like we are not a big draw in Jersey. Just thought that I would mention it.

LOL. Another interesting- and amusing- note. Just checked the Portland State forum. So guess who had posted there? Our very own new moderator, Scott Hood. Under personal information he listed as his favorite team.........Portland State! Damn traitor.

I wonder if that is where his wife went to school? At least it is not the uw.

 

[kayak15]

I am also assuming that is the case. I seem to recall that his wife's father is located in the Portland area. I find this little bit of coincidence amusing. Now listing his favorite school as the uw would really be something.

 

[CougPatrol]

I've always wondered why we never did this for some of our Seatlle games. Give 20K seats away.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

Checked the Rutgers' board yesterday and came across an interesting post. Apparently they are giving away free tickets to the Wazzu game. Limited to kids twelve years old and younger. Seems like we are not a big draw in Jersey. Just thought that I would mention it.

LOL. Another interesting- and amusing- note. Just checked the Portland State forum. So guess who had posted there? Our very own new moderator, Scott Hood. Under personal information he listed as his favorite team.........Portland State! Damn traitor.

It's not just the Wazzu game and I think it's only for 2K tickets. Rutgers is promoting the same thing for several other games because the AD is making an effort to connect with the young kids. She wants kids to think only of Rutgers as they get older. In the past Rutgers suffered from being in inferior conferences, so teams like Syracuse, Boston College and Penn State were the team of choice. Lately, the Block R for Rutgers is all over the place in NJ. Some time ago Rutgers was giving away mini Rutgers footballs to children born at certain hospitals in NJ. It's a marketing thing. Right now Rutgers has 32K season ticket holders in a 54K seat stadium. 10K goes to students and 3K to opponents. That leaves about 9K for the general public. Prior to the Big 10 Rutgers usually average 21K season ticket holders.

 

[kayak15]

It's not just the Wazzu game and I think it's only for 2K tickets. Rutgers is promoting the same thing for several other games because the AD is making an effort to connect with the young kids. She wants kids to think only of Rutgers as they get older. In the past Rutgers suffered from being in inferior conferences, so teams like Syracuse, Boston College and Penn State were the team of choice. Lately, the Block R for Rutgers is all over the place in NJ. Some time ago Rutgers was giving away mini Rutgers footballs to children born at certain hospitals in NJ. It's a marketing thing. Right now Rutgers has 32K season ticket holders in a 54K seat stadium. 10K goes to students and 3K to opponents. That leaves about 9K for the general public. Prior to the Big 10 Rutgers usually average 21K season ticket holders.

O.K., that makes sense. (How do you know so much about Rutgers as you seem to be a Colorado guy?)

 

[Cougatron]

O.K., that makes sense. (How do you know so much about Rutgers as you seem to be a Colorado guy?)

Colorado are the Buffalo....and their mascot's name is Ralphie.

R...alphie..... R utgers

The Buffs wear jerseys.... Rutgers is IN Jersey....

CU is in boulder.... the sword in the STONE...another name for boulder....

Knights use a Sword...the Rutgers are the Scarlet KNIGHTS!

IT ALL MAKES SENSE!!!!

 

[kayak15]

Colorado are the Buffalo....and their mascot's name is Ralphie.

R...alphie..... R utgers

The Buffs wear jerseys.... Rutgers is IN Jersey....

CU is in boulder.... the sword in the STONE...another name for boulder....

Knights use a Sword...the Rutgers are the Scarlet KNIGHTS!

IT ALL MAKES SENSE!!!!

You, sir, are an undisputed master of internet logic. I bow in awe before your wisdom. Now I realize why the board's rare disagreements come to such a rapid and enduring conclusion, pleasing to all concerned.

 

[wazzucougs96]

Sure would be nice if WSU did that kind of stuff for the youth of Spokane and the Tri Cities.

 

[kayak15]

Not a bad idea, 96. Maybe not immediately but later when and if we expand Martin. Get kids at least aware of college at a young age and WSU in particular. Could also reawaken interest in the alma mater among their alumni parents. Would sell a few tickets to those parents too. An interesting proposal and something to consider.

 

[YakiCoug]

Not a bad idea, 96. Maybe not immediately but later when and if we expand Martin. Get kids at least aware of college at a young age and WSU in particular. Could also reawaken interest in the alma mater among their alumni parents. Would sell a few tickets to those parents too. An interesting proposal and something to consider.

I might be taking this to different fields, but I've read Moos' comments about CAF membership being stuck at 6,000, that there were gains but those were offset by losses. I'm not sure if the losses occurred because older alumni are getting older and less able to get to games and, thus, cutting financial ties. There might be several on their porch swings content with the memories of the two Rose Bowls and the Holiday Bowl win and have decided step away and live in Memory Lane.
Another possible factor: We do know that the collapse of the program and the collapse of the economy coincided (2008). We do know many graduates have struggled to find jobs. Those grads who aren't working and face student-loan debts are highly less likely to join the CAF/buy season tickets. And those who graduated 2008 through 2014 haven't seen some of the greatest football, especially IN Martin Stadium. Perhaps WSU will never get them in the fold, so many reaching out to youth and their families with free tickets is a means to making up for lost ground.
This desire to grow something reminds me of the opening lyrics to Fastball's "Sweetwater, Texas"...
Ain't as easy as it looks
To grow flowers in the dirt
All of my friends are living underground

 

[CougPatrol]

Not a bad idea, 96. Maybe not immediately but later when and if we expand Martin. Get kids at least aware of college at a young age and WSU in particular. Could also reawaken interest in the alma mater among their alumni parents. Would sell a few tickets to those parents too. An interesting proposal and something to consider.

You don't have to wait until we expand Martin to do this type of thing. Basic attendance analytics is simple to do; particularly for WSU home games.

We know that Labor Day vs. Portland State is going to be a tough draw. So beginning August 25th, why not skim half of the unsold tickets and make them available to high school students who might be considering attending WSU and turn Labor Day into a "tour the campus" weekend? Free tickets for high school and their parents, along with a comprehensive campus tour. That's an easy PR move that'll work.

For other games, especially back-to-back weekends, do a similar thing where you skim half of the unsold tickets on the Monday before the game, and offer a ridiculously affordable package. Tickets to the WSU game and a shuttle bus from Spokane or Tri-Cities for $20. OK, we lose some money on the deal. So what? Consider it a marketing expense, not to mention that the extra butts in the seats enhance the game day experience for everyone else in attendance.

The Seattle game "could have" been done similarly. Skim 20K tickets and GIVE THEM AWAY to Western WA high school families who's students are considering WSU. Take a page from the time share market, but take away the high pressure. Attend a 90 minute University orientation and receive 4 free tickets, cougar gear, etc.

 

[CougPatrol]

Another possible factor: We do know that the collapse of the program and the collapse of the economy coincided (2008). We do know many graduates have struggled to find jobs. Those grads who aren't working and face student-loan debts are highly less likely to join the CAF/buy season tickets. And those who graduated 2008 through 2014 haven't seen some of the greatest football, especially IN Martin Stadium. Perhaps WSU will never get them in the fold, so many reaching out to youth and their families with free tickets is a means to making up for lost ground.
This desire to grow something reminds me of the opening lyrics to Fastball's "Sweetwater, Texas"...
Ain't as easy as it looks
To grow flowers in the dirt
All of my friends are living underground

I agree. That was the #1 reason behind my support of an occasional Seattle game. I would have used it as a general student body recruiting tool and disconnected WSU alumni event. We could have offered FREE tickets to Western WA alumni.

Filter your search for

• WSU alumni who have donated previously, but don't anymore.
• Former WSU season ticket holders
• High school students who are considering WSU

20K cheap seat tickets would cost us maybe $300K - $400K to front. That's chump change in the marketing space. Throw in a free tee-shirt, and some freaking pom-poms and a giant foam finger, whatever. Do something with the 20-30K empty seats.

My guess is that WSU has a loyal (game attending) fan base of around 50K. 15-20K of us attend all or most of the games, and another 30K attend the occasional games. We need to create new fans, even if they're just the occasional attendees. Frankly, that's probably the market we should go after given our geography. Winning 6-8 games/year fairly regularly would certainly help.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

O.K., that makes sense. (How do you know so much about Rutgers as you seem to be a Colorado guy?)

I play for Colorado back in the Big 8 days. Transferred back to NJ (Rutgers) after my sophomore year once my parents told me they both have lung cancer.